Gap on Wisbech High Street to be filled with shops and flats

Fenland Council has agreed its own proposals to redevelop the eyesore between existing buildings in the centre of Wisbech, where two derelict properties were demolished in 2020.

They include ground-floor retail space with three storeys of one-bedroom flats above.

The new building which will fill the gap (Image: Wilby & Burnett)

A planning officer’s report said: "The proposal would redevelop a vacant brownfield site within Wisbech town centre with a high-quality mixed-use development that reinstates an active commercial frontage and provides six additional residential units in a sustainable location.

"At four storeys in height, the building would sit comfortably within the varied scale of surrounding town centre development and remain lower than the previously approved five-storey scheme."

The council's conservation officer described the plans as "a very positive step", saying the vacant site was "a serious blot on the wider streetscape" which gives "a feeling of neglect and dereliction to the town".

The gap is currently filled with scaffolding (Image: Wilby & Burnett)

A planning statement said: "The proposed scheme will have a positive impact upon the local area.

"It will improve the aesthetic of the High Street, bridging the gap between the neighbouring buildings brought about by the decay of the existing building."

No objections were received, while a neighbour said the proposals were "one of the most critical and positive interventions proposed for Wisbech in recent years".

The previous shops which were demolished in 2020 (Image: Wilby & Burnett)

The project is part of ongoing efforts to revitalise Wisbech High Street, which was awarded £1.9m from the Heritage Lottery Fund for redevelopment.

In 2019, the council granted itself planning permission for a five-storey building with a large retail unit and 15 flats above, but that scheme did not move forward and the permission has since expired.

Latest plans were agreed on condition work begins within three years and a construction plan including how dust will be managed is agreed beforehand.